Incoming weeks will be the most challenging of my career, says nursing director in NI

Incoming weeks will be the most challenging of my career – nursing director (PA)

The incoming weeks will be the most challenging in many medical workers’ careers, the director of nursing at the South Eastern Health Trust has said.

Hospitals across Northern Ireland are preparing for the third surge of the coronavirus pandemic – which is expected to be the worst.

On Monday morning there were 69 Covid-19 positive patients at the South Eastern Trust, mainly at its Ulster Hospital site, close to the peak of 73 during the second surge.

Critical care complex of the Ulster Hospital at Dundonald (Liam McBurney/PA)

The intensive care unit at Ulster Hospital had 10 patients on Monday, half of whom were positive for Covid-19.

The hospital’s ICU capacity is currently 16. When this capacity is reached, patients will be transferred to the Nightingale facility at Belfast City Hospital.

Director of hospital services Dr David Robinson said the third surge is expected to be the worst of the three with pressures currently building, particularly in their inpatient wards and critical care.

As part of its surge plan, the South Eastern Trust has closed most of its outpatient services with the exception of time-critical emergency patients and maternity appointments.

The move is designed to free up staff to support colleagues in hospital wards.

Dr David Robinson (South Eastern Health Trust/PA)

Dr Robinson said the trust is maximising the number of critical care beds it has at the Ulster Hospital and supporting colleagues across Northern Ireland.

“The ask of us is the same as everyone else and so we’re meeting with colleagues in Belfast and across the region daily,” he said.

Director of nursing Nicki Patterson said she has been nursing for 37 years and anticipates that the coming weeks will be the most challenging of her career.

“For ourselves in South Eastern we are not perhaps feeling just the extent of the pressure that our colleagues in some other trusts are feeling, we have no doubt that across the region these incoming weeks are going to be extremely challenging,” she said.

She urged the public to follow the public health messages, for people to behave as if they have coronavirus and minimising contacts, exercising social distancing as well as washing their hands frequently.

Ms Patterson also urged people to come to the emergency department when they need to, but only when they need to.

“The service is here for you, but for those who don’t require an emergency service or a hospital, we’re appealing that people make (a) measured judgment,” she said.

“In the incoming weeks, unfortunately we are not going to be able to care for everyone in the way we would normally want to, but we will do our very best.”

She also reassured those unable to visit loved ones in hospital that staff will be there for them.

“When those families can’t be there, we will be, and particularly for people who may be coming to the end of their life, we will be here, we will be with them and we will be holding their hands,” she said.

Ms Patterson also paid tribute to their staff as “remarkable”.

“Staff have been amazing, we have been working shoulder to the wheel for months and now we are asking more of staff again. That’s difficult for everyone and we cannot thank our staff enough for the degree to which they have got behind us through this very difficult period,” she said.

“There is no doubt it is exhausting, wearing personal protection for long shifts is physically tiring, it is dehydrating, staff find they are very thirsty. Then from an emotional point of view, many staff will speak very articulately about their personal experiences through this journey of being with people at the end.”